


Galra in Shining Armor

by ninjawrites



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Aromantic Asexual Keith, Aromantic Asexual Pidge | Katie Holt, Damsel in Distress, Fantastic Racism, Gen, Socially Awkward Keith (Voltron), Towards end of season 2, but a tad canon divergent, diplomatic mission, its the bad guy so its okay, slight image of blood
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-27
Updated: 2019-06-27
Packaged: 2020-05-20 14:54:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,623
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19378981
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ninjawrites/pseuds/ninjawrites
Summary: If there is anything Keith hates more than socializing, it's dancing.On a diplomatic mission with the paladins, Keith meets the princess of his dreams, or so to speak. However, this isn’t your usual damsel in distress.





	1. Chapter 1

There was only one thing Keith hated more than diplomatic missions.

Diplomatic missions that involved dancing.

Keith leaned lazily against a pillar supporting one of the most elegantly decorated ceilings he had ever seen. While it was supposed to be only Shiro and Allura meeting with the King of the planet Rexon-12 earlier that day, the latest amongst the list of potential allies, the king had refused to make any sort of agreement without first meeting all paladins. It was then that they were invited (or in Keith's case, forced) to attend a royal ball thrown in their honor. Just by the looks of the attendees and their extravagant outfits, Keith could tell these aliens were the kind to use any excuse to party.

He adjusted his collar of his suit, not used to the annoyingly high neck. Coran had made each of the paladins an interpretation of Royal Altean formal wear, his being a deep red with golden trim and epaulets. It was a bit gaudy to be honest (he felt like he just jumped out of a Disney movie) however he did appreciate that Coran had incorporated the Blade of Marmora insignia into the Voltron symbol embroidered in his sash. Seeing how Voltron was willing to present their Galra paladin so openly, almost proudly, had taken an immense weight off his shoulders he hadn't realized was there. Not that the BOM insignia was recognizable at this corner of the galaxy, but it would hopefully prevent any of the locals from accusing him of being a spy, as had already happened too many times for his comfort. 

As Keith sipped on his drink, hoped that either Shiro or Allura would hurry up and convince the King already. The last thing he wanted was to stay at this social event any longer than necessary, or worse, be forced to attend another one. The two of them conversed with the royal family at the front of the ballroom, clearly attempting a serious conversation. Though from the vein he could see on Shiro's forehead, and Allura's overly polite smile, the King kept changing the subject. Besides them, also seeming done with the conversation, was who Keith assumed to be the princess. He held back a snicker as she rolled her eyes at her father's pot bellied laugh.

Keith huffed, taking a swig of his drink before forcing his feet forward towards Lance, who, by the looks of his swinging hand gestures, was telling some grandiose battle story. As much as he didn't want to hear Lance's over exaggerations, listening to someone else was a good way to avoid actually having to talk.

"Hey Keith, nice of you to join us!" Lance smiled, introducing him to the group and talking him up, to Keith's chagrin. As he continued with his story, Keith ended up crowd watching again, tuning out most of Lance's words. He scanned over the aliens in royal ballroom attire. The Rexonians were fairly humanoid, except for having only four fingers on each hand and skin tones in various colors of the rainbow. They seemed friendly and happy, most of them dancing the night away. 

Suddenly, Keith's attention was drawn by subtle movement over Lance's shoulder. A party guest looked around suspiciously, his emotionless face a contrast to the smiling aliens surrounding him. A sickening feeling in Keith's gut told him it wasn't displeasure or boredom, but something more sinister.

Keith excused himself before beginning to politely push through the crowd. Keith followed the stranger's line of sight to the front of the room, where his eyes locked on to one person in particular. 

The Rexonian princess.

She stood alongside the king, looking bored as ever, though her attention was elsewhere. Keith moved quickly, his heart dropping as the guest stepped nearer, a hand slowly moving to pull something from his back.

All it took was the glint of a blade for Keith to rush forward, hand instinctively grasping the hilt of his own he had sheathed at his waist. His eyes widened as the assassin raised his blade, mere feet behind the princess.

In one swift motion, Keith darted forward, his dagger transforming to its full length and slicing through the wrist of the attacker.

A collective gasp echoed around the ballroom as the assassins weapon clattered to the ground, his hand along with it. Clutching his bleeding arm to his chest, the assassin screamed and fell to his knees. Keith brought his sword a hairs length from his neck, forcing his chin up with the sharp point. 

"Move, and your hand's not the only thing that's coming off." 

Keith was bluffing, of course, but he had learned a bit more about intimidation tactics from his past few months with the Blade. 

Shiro jumped to guard the King, hand glowing, and Allura rushed to the princess, bayard drawn. The Rexonian princess simply stood frozen, staring at Keith, or rather his blade, eyes wide.

"What happened?" Lance asked as he ran over, the others not far behind. Pidge grasped her long green skirt in one hand, bayard drawn in the other, while Hunk ran behind her, ready to defend. They halted once they reached the throne, eyes widening at the mildly gruesome scene before them. 

"He...he saved me..." the princess breathed. By then, the palace guards had caught up to the situation, and pulled the assassin off his feet. Without a word, the King signaled for them to take him away, also signaling for a few servants to begin cleaning up the blood trail left behind. Suddenly he began to clap. 

"What a mighty warrior!" The king exclaimed, pushing past Shiro. Keith suddenly became aware of the number of eyes on him, his blade shifting back into dagger form with a flash of light. He flinched as the king bellowed once again. "How valiant are the paladins of Voltron, even without their lions!" The kings face beamed with pride. Keith's eyes flickered to the princess, who was still staring at his blade. The king lifted his hands to the crowd, which erupted into applause. He then turned to Shiro and Allura, who looked quite shocked now that the danger had passed. Keith doubted any of them expected the evening to go in this direction. 

"If you wouldn't mind I should like to discuss the terms of our alliance, now that your paladins have proven their loyalty to us." 

"Y-yes, of course." Allura shook off the shocked look on her face, replaced by one of relief. She turned hesitantly to the princess. "Should your daughter join us? We are still quite worried for her safety, and I am sure her input would be invaluable." 

The king shook his head, and Keith could see Allura try to mask the frustration with another polite smile. "It is best she stay and socialize, and I am sure she will be safest in the capable hands of your paladins." 

At that moment, Lance threw his hand forward towards the princess with a cocky smile. "The name's Lance. Don't worry princess, your safety is our utmost responsibility." He winked.

She gave him her hand hesitantly, and Keith couldn't help but try not to laugh at the slight grimace she made when Lance kissed it. 

"Wonderful." The king clasped his hands together. "Red Paladin, you shall remain by my daughters side for the rest of the evening!" 

Lance gawked and Keith stiffened. The princess on the other hand, didn't seem to care at all. At least guard duty would give Keith something to focus on rather than wandering the party aimlessly. 

"Of course." Keith gave a slight bow to the King, who turned and hurried out of the ballroom alongside Shiro and Allura. 

The princess dismissed Lance, Hunk and Pidge to enjoy the rest of the party, though they did so rather hesitantly. Keith could see Lance's practically seething with jealousy, despite him knowing there was absolutely no reason for it. Keith took his spot besides the princess, standing just slightly behind her like a secret service agent, eyes examining the rest of the ballroom for potential threats. 

A few moments passed in a slightly awkward silence, the princess huffing a few times, seeming bored as ever. He wondered how she managed to be so calm, even after almost being assassinated. He debated starting a conversation, while unsure where to even start.

Instead, it was the princess who broke the silence.

"My name is Laika, by the way."

"Keith." 

"I like your blade." She said, eyes still trained on the rest of the assembly. 

"Oh, uh...thanks." 

"May I see it?" 

The question caught Keith off guard, though not necessarily in a bad way. He hesitantly pulled the blade from its sheath, wiping the blood off with his red sleeve before handing it to the princess. 

Laika took it gently and examined it, turning it gently between her fingers. She eyed the sharp edge, brushing her finger along it. "What material is it made from?" 

Her interest piqued Keith's own curiosity. "Luxite." He answered. Laika's eyes shifted to awe. 

Her eyes shifted to awe. "I've only heard legends of such blades. Never would I have expected to ever see its transformative properties up close." 

Keith lifted his eyebrows, feeling a touch of excitement. "You've heard of it?"

Laika nodded, handing his blade back to him. "I am a collector of various weapons, preferably rare blades and other close range swords." She said casually. She reached her hand toward him and revealed the miniature dagger she held inside her sleeve.

Keith stared at the intricate carving in the handle and the pearlescent sheen of the blade itself. Small enough to hide, but sharp enough to inflict serious damage. He tried his best not to start drooling right then and there. "Wow, looks like you could've handled the assassin on your own." 

Her proud smirk disappeared, and Keith chided himself for speaking too soon.

"I am ashamed that the traitor caught me unawares." As she spoke, Keith recognized the look on her face as frustration rather than fear. "I am truly lucky you noticed him."

"Surveillance is kind of a habit for me." Keith replied, the praise only making him feel awkward. They were silent for a few moments, Keith straightening and falling back into guard duty mode. However, he itched to ask more about her blade collection. 

"I can tell you're not a fan of parties."

"Is it that obvious?"

"Yes, neither am I, but sadly, duty calls us doesn't it." The princess huffed and looked around the room. She then turned to Keith with mischievous smirk that reminded Keith of Pidge. "Do you want to see my collection?" 

"Yes!" Keith blurted, before second guessing. Allura doesn't approve when he has ditched their diplomatic endeavors in the past. "Won't your father wonder where you are?" 

The princess rolled her eyes. "My father does not pay as much attention to me as you think. Come with me." She grabbed Keith by the wrist and he followed her out of the ballroom without much of a choice. 

On his way out, Keith met eyes with Lance across the ballroom, mid-sip of his drink. Lance's eyes widened, and half sprayed the liquid out of his mouth just as the door shut behind them. 

As the two of them were now walking alone through the empty hallway, Keith suddenly realized the implications of him leaving with the princess. He felt a surge of panic in his chest, wondering if he had misread the situation and was actually about to enter an even more uncomfortable one. 

He thought through their previous conversation, which to him seemed perfectly harmless, platonic even. Yet, Lance had often told Keith how oblivious he was, and was therefore an unreliable source of judgement. Was she flirting? Had he flirted accidentally? How does one even do that? Keith's panic grew as the princess continued to pull him down the hallway. 

By the time they reached the end, Keith had thought of at least three ways he could let her down easy. Two of them he may have stolen from Lance, but hey, he was desperate. Obviously, the first option included telling the truth about his identity, but sadly, he'd never had much luck with that one. People either ended up confused, in tears, angry, or all three. The last thing he wanted to do was ruin the alliance Shiro and Allura just worked so hard to achieve. 

Just as Keith was about to speak up, they turned a corner and entered what looked like a martial arts dojo. Keith's eyes examined at the delicately carved pillars surrounding a thick mat in the center of the room, various weapons, ranging from staffs to scythes decorated the walls in an orderly fashion. The princess let go of his hand and approached a large cabinet that took up the entirety of one wall. With a scan of her hand, the cabinet opened to show an elaborate array of unique swords, blades and daggers. 

Keith thought he might cry.

"Feast your eyes." Laika smiled proudly.

He approached slowly, eyes trailing over every detail of the array of weapons. A few shapes he recognized, others, he could only describe as alien. His fingers gravitated towards an onyx saber with a silver hilt, before he caught himself and stopped just short of it. 

"These are incredible."

The princess sat cross legged on the mat with a sly smirk. "I've gone to great lengths to aquire some of these. The one you're looking at, I paid a space pirate a great deal to retrieve for me. Unfortunately his attempt to double cross me only earned him a missing ear via that very blade."

"You train with these?" Keith asked. What he wouldn't give to handle one of these, or even test out a few. He wondered if a quick sparring session was too much to ask the princess, though he doubted that would be good security guard protocol.

She blushed as if she said too much. Keith sat down on the mat beside her, hoping to hear more. "I do, however much it infuriates my father." She eyed him, gauging his reaction, before continuing. "He blames my inability to find a spouse on the time I spend training or travelling the galaxy to find these." She plomped back on the mat, staring up at the ceiling, like Pidge would when she was frustrated with her code or couldn't pinpoint an error. 

Keith laughed slightly. "Why need a partner when knives are so much more fun?" 

The princess shot back up, giving him a quizzical look. "Are you mocking me?"

Keith panicked. "No, not at all!" She stared him down. "I promise---I'm being serious."

She examined him, keeping eye contact until Keith felt like she was staring into his soul, until suddenly her face shifted. 

She believed him. 

"I'm sorry, I---" She stared at the ground. "I've never met anyone else with the same sentiments..." 

Keith noticed the look of surprise and confusion, a complex feeling he himself recognized. Suddenly, he understood what she was saying. 

"Your father's wrong, you know."

The princess looked at him carefully, and Keith realized she was waiting for him to explain further.

"It's not your fault."

"And how would you know that?"

"Because I had to figure it out for myself. For years I wondered if something was wrong with me, why I could never connect with anyone in a romantic context, or why I never had any interest or drive to do so." It had taken a while, but long talks with like Shiro and Pidge had helped him realize there wasn't anything wrong with him at all.

"Surely now that you are a paladin of Voltron, you have opened your horizons. Traversing the endless planets in the universe, surely you would come across someone who would spark those kinds of feelings?" Laika asked, her eyes downcast. "My father said I wasn't trying hard enough, wasn't giving anyone a chance."

Keith shook his head. "I used to blame my lack of attraction on my introversion, like it was my fault because I didn't put myself out there enough, didn't get to know enough people. But once I joined Voltron, I realized that wasn't it. It took me a while, I'm still working on it technically, but I realized it's just me, and there's nothing wrong with that."

"So, you are not interested in romance relationships, or even...reproductive..." She grimaced slightly at the thought.

Keith laughed, and shook his head. "Nope. On Earth we have a name for it. Aromantic Asexual." 

The princess stared at the floor, and Keith could see her mumbling the words to herself, as if testing them. "I did not know there were others like me...I thought..." Her words faded.

"There are plenty of others like us. Not broken, but perfectly whole." Keith repeated the words Pidge had told him the first time he realized his sexuality. "Actually...the green paladin, Pidge? She's aroace too."

Laika's face lit up. "Really?" However, the light faded as quickly as it came, as Laika brought her knees up to her chest. "But that won't convince my father though."

"Convince him, of what?"

"That I do not need to marry!" She threw up her hands. "It is the whole purpose of the ball tonight."

"What? I thought the ball was so he could meet all the paladins."

She turned sheepish, burying her face in her hands. "Exactly."

It took a few moments for the lines to connect in Keith's brain.

"Whoa whoa wait---Your father want's you to marry one of us!" Keith's voice cracked at the end.

She nodded. "He's horribly stubborn and stupid! What does he think, that one of you are going to leave Voltron and stay? It may be a law of my people that I have to marry before I take the throne, but you all have far greater responsibilities than this measley little planet. I've seen it on my travels. The Galra need to be destroyed."

"Have you tried to change his mind?"

She gave him an exasperated look. "Of course I have! I've fought with him countless times, but he will not listen. He is the only one who can change the law against the council. I have pushed it off too long already. He threatened to arrange my next marriage with one of the elder councilmen if I do not choose someone tonight." She shivered.

Keith sat there slack jawed. His heart broke for Laika, the thought of being forced into marriage chilled him to the bone. He wanted to do something for her, anything, but he didn't know what.

Suddenly, she started laughing. "Ha, too bad there are no Galra here tonight. My father would change the law in a heartbeat."

Keith snapped his head towards her. "Huh? What does that have to do with it?"

"The law forces me to marry, but my father made the deal with me: I have to choose." She pointed to herself. "If a Galra was here, and I choose them, he'd have to change the law! I know it's a silly fantasy, but there is nothing greater on earth he despises than the Galra."

Keith gulped, an insane thought coming to him. He couldn't let Laika be left with such a horrible fate. As stupid as his idea was, he had to help her somehow.

"Laika, how much do you know about Luxite blades?" 

She cocked her head. "Not much, only the properties of the material. Why?"

He took a deep breath. "Because you were wrong, there is a Galra here tonight." 

"What!" Laika's eyes widened as Keith tugged her to her feet and started to pull her out of the room just as she did to him earlier. "Keith, what are you talking about?"

"Trust me. I have an idea."


	2. Chapter 2

"You're going to WHAT-- " Keith slapped a hand over Lance's mouth before he could attract anymore attention. 

"Look, I need you to trust me. I can't reach Shiro and Allura beforehand, but if they see you going along with it's more likely they'll play along too." 

"Keith you are insane!" Pidge whispered harshly. "As much as I want to help this princess too, we have to consider the alliance. What if the king calls it off?"

"Laika says he won't. The planet is too small to fend off the Galra on their own, and no matter how much he hates us he's not gonna let his people go defenseless. And he won't call it off if they've already signed the contract. The king is super specific about deals." 

Pidge adjusted her glasses in thought. "I don't know..."

Hunk interjected. "If the king calls it off because Keith is part Galra, Shiro and Allura aren't going to want to ally with him anyways. They've done it before."

Keith realized he still had his hand over Lance's when he felt a wet sensation on his palm. He reeled back in horror, wiping his hand on his trousers as Lance gave a satisfied smirk.

"Keith, you are crazy, but I'm in." He grinned cheekily. "Anything for a damsel in distress." 

"Me too!" Hunk chimed in.

Pidge huffed, "Fine, I'm in too. The universe is nothing without aroace solidarity, amirite?" She put out a fist towards Keith and they fist bumped. 

"Okay, now here's the plan."

* * *

Lance, Pidge and Hunk walked swiftly through the halls of the alien palace to where Laika said the King's meeting room. In almost perfect timing, Shiro and Allura exited the room along with the King, shaking hands with successful smiles on their faces.

"It is good to know we will have Voltron on our side in the case of danger." The King chimed.

"And your resources will be invaluable to us as as well, your majesty." Allura grinned, relief clear on her face, and turned to the three as they approached. "Paladins, is something the matter?"

"Nope, nothing! Everything is just peachy." Lance spat awkwardly, before turning to the king. "Your majesty, I think there's something you would want to see."

"Oh? Of course. Lead the way Blue Paladin."

Once Lance hurried off alongside the king. Shiro and Allura followed behind and looked at each other skeptically, before laying suspicious eyes on Pidge and Hunk. 

"Why do I have a feeling you are up to something?" Shiro asked.

Hunk rubbed the back of his neck. "Because we kinda are...well, Keith's up to something but OW--" Pidge elbowed him in the side.

Shiro pinched the brow of his nose. "What did Keith do?"

"Look, you're going to have to trust us, there's no time to explain." She adjusted her glasses. "But in order for this plan to work you have to play along."

"Play along? With what?" Allura asked.

* * *

 

"Stop staring at your feet." Laika whispered. "You're supposed to be looking into my eyes remember?"

"I'm sorry! I don't really...dance." Keith apologized to the princess. Thankfully Coran had forced them all into learning the basics of ballroom dancing, which in actuality, wasn't too different across most of the universe. But that didn't mean Keith was actually good at it.

"Think of it like sword fighting." Keith quirked an eyebrow at Laika's comparison. "Each step is fluid from one to the other, purposeful." 

Keith thought about it and actually, it somehow made more sense. He cleared his throat, preparing himself, and soon the two of them were dancing across the ballroom floor. 

The guests naturally parted to make room, faces in awe as the princess spun, her dress spinning out wide before circling back in. Keith tried his best to ignore all the eyes laid on him, keeping a neutral expression with every step. With every misstep, Laika would whisper the counts, bringing him back on beat. 

After a few turns, Keith noticed Lance walking in with the king out of the corner of his eye, Shiro and the rest of them not far behind. If his nerves weren't so shot, he would have laughed at the absolute shock that plastered his brother's face.

"Your father's here." He mumbled.

"Then let's give him a show."

Towards the end of the song, the princess spun out once more, spinning in to Keith's arms. He dipped her, leaning down dramatically like he'd seen Lance do a million times. Granted, he probably looked about as graceful as a wounded yalmor.

He brought his face close to hers, preparing himself, until suddenly, she put a death grip on his arm. 

"I-I'm sorry, I thought I could do it, but--"

Keith let out a breath of relief and smiled, letting his hair hang over his face. "Oh thank goodness."

The mutual feeling of relief shifted into laughter, both of them smiling as they straightened, applause growing as the music faded out. They looked towards the king, whose satisfied smile told them their laughter had done the trick. 

"You ready?" Laika asked.

"Not turning back now." He offered his elbow and she took it. They then approached the front of the ballroom.

"I see you and my daughter have gotten along very well this evening." The king said.

Keith turned to the princess and smiled. "Yes, very much so." She gave him a wink, because honestly, they had gotten along surprisingly well, just not in the way it seemed.

The king clasped his hands together happily, turning to Laika. He lifted an eyebrow. "Now, my dear, have we made a decision?"

Keith noticed her bite her lip, an attempt to keep the frustration from showing through her happy mask. She nodded. "Yes."

"Splendid! The two of you shall be married as soon as possible."

Keith could've sworn he saw Allura's soul escape her body as her jaw dropped open. Shiro just stood frozen, looking very, very confused. Before either of them could say anything, Lance jumped in as scripted.

"Congrats you two!" He said, wrapping an arm around Keith's shoulders. "Never thought I would see the day Mullet lands someone as beautiful as the princess over here." Lance locked eyes with Shiro and Allura, subtly gesturing his head towards the couple. 

Pidge actually elbowed Shiro, who sputtered. "Oh, uh, yeah, um...congrats?" 

Allura on the other hand, didn't get the message. "I'm sorry," She eyed Keith curiously, then turned to the king. "I thought we discussed this during the meeting. The alliance with Voltron would not hinge upon a marriage to one of the paladins."

Keith clenched his fist at his side. If she didn't choose, the king was prepared to choose for her without even letting her be present.

"It does not, I assure you." The king gestured to the two of them. "Is this not something that each of them have chosen freely?"

Chosen freely my ass, Keith thought. He could sense the heated anger emanating off of Laika in waves. 

This needed to end now. 

Keith opened his mouth to speak his part before Allura interjected. 

"And how would such a relationship work out hm?" Allura crossed her arms. "The Red Paladin is not only has duties to Voltron, but to our allies, the Blade of Marmora, as well." She turned to Keith expectantly, a knowing glimmer in her eye. 

Maybe she did get the message. Her comment set him up perfectly for his next line.

"I'm sure Laika wouldn't mind living amongst Galra, given that she's marrying one." Keith couldn't help the smirk that lifted on his cheeks.

Suddenly, the king paled, his face dropping from a bright blue to a cloudy grey tone. "I-I am sorry...what?"

"Did you not know father, that the Red Paladin is a knight of the Blade of Marmora?" Laika gestured to the symbol embroidered on Keith's sash. "They are allies of Voltron dedicated to defeating the Empire, but only those with Galran blood may wield the blade." She cocked her head, feigning innocence. "I thought you knew."

The king's face changed once more to a reddened tint, though Keith wasn't sure if it was from embarassment, or anger. 

"No..." The king gritted through his teeth. "I was not aware."

"Surely you don't have any problem with that fact, your majesty." Pidge stated. 

"Yeah, I mean it's not that big of a deal right? I mean, hey may start turning purple eventually, and his eyes sometimes get this yellow glow to them when he's angry, and look at those fangs!" Lance had the gall to place his finger in Keith's mouth to show his abnormally extended canine, catching him off guard. "But hey, think of how cute their babies will be---"

Keith slapped Lance's hand out of his mouth with a glare. "Tone it down Lance," he hissed. Keith already felt uncomfortable discussing his heritage like this, but he was doing it for Laika. He'd have to have a bit of a talk with Lance about going too far.

However, it did the trick.

"That's enough!" The king thundered, hands clenched at both sides. "I very much do have a problem with this." He glared at Laika. "Laika, I forbid you to marry him. I will not have the royal line blemished with the blood of our enemies."

"But father," Laika stepped forward. "You made a deal with me in front of the council."

"I nullify the deal. My word is law."

"Even so, it is also law that as long as I choose before I come of age, that choice is mine alone."

"You have several quintants until then, choose another." He lifted an eyebrow. "I know what you are trying to do."

Laika stepped forward, chest out and eyebrows set in an intimidating glare, almost nose to nose with her father.

"I will not. Even if Voltron leaves, all it takes is one call and he will come back to me. It is either him, or no one." She threatened. Keith knew it was a bluff, but as he thought about it, he wouldn't mind doing that. It's not as if he was ever going to get married anyway, and it was just a piece of paper. They would lead separate lives, Laika free to move about the galaxy as she pleased. It was a last case scenario, but all in all, not the worst. He was a paladin. It was his job to help people.

The king made eye contact with Keith, likely an attempt to test his daughters threat. Keith only gave a confident nod in return. 

If her father's combined hatred for him and concern for his daughter outweighed his pride, they wouldn't have to resort to that. 

The group was tense, all the paladins tense, their eyes flickering to each other. The stare-down commenced for an unknown amount of time, before one of them broke.

"Fine." The king pinched his brows in defeat. "Then no one it shall be." 

Keith released a breath of relief. He could see the sparkle in Laika's eye, though she was careful to mask her excitement with a neutral expression. "I swear you to it." She shook her father's reluctant hand, a gesture which Laika mentioned was equivalent to the signing of a contract.

"Now that the issue is settled, I charge that the alliance is still intact? Surely you are not foolish enough to risk your people's safety for your own prejudices hm?" Allura spoke.

The king grumbled. "I am not. The alliance is secure." He eyed the other paladins surrounding him, eyes landing on Keith. "You may have saved my daughter, but I know what else you did, Galra." He waved them off. "I suggest that your time at this party is over."

"As is ours." Shiro said, handing the king a communicator. "Per terms to our agreement, Voltron will be in your aid. But we will not be staying here any longer."

"As you wish." The king scoffed, turning on his heel and exiting the ballroom.

The princess stepped forward. "Thank you, all of you. I am sorry to have caused such distress, but I could never be able to repay you for your help."

"Don't be." Allura spoke up. "As unexpected as that was, I am glad we were able to assist. As a princess myself, I would not wish upon anyone a fate such as yours would have been."

"And thank you Keith." Laika took both his hands in hers. "I have never met anyone as selfless as you. You helped me realize many things about myself, and I am indebted to you."

Keith sheepishly avoided eye contact. "No thanks necessary. It's part of the job."

She lunged forward to hug him, and he froze at the sudden contact before gradually hugging back. When she let go, she gave him a smile. 

"I suggest you get out of here before my father comes back. He's furious enough as it is." 

"Do not hesitate to call us, even casually." Shiro said. "I'm sure Keith would appreciate having a friend to talk to outside of Voltron."

"Alright." The princess beamed. "I should like that. It's hard to find someone as interested in swordsmanship as I am." She waved as all the paladins but Keith began to walk towards the exit of the ballroom.

Keith gave a slight smile and nodded, before eventually turning to follow the others.

He may have been dreading this evening, but he ended up doing more good than he thought. Lance teased him later at the Castle, calling him the 'Galra in shining armor.' However, Keith couldn't help but feel like he won something even better than the heart of a princess. He won a new friend, and to Keith, those were few and far between, and even more precious.


End file.
